Jackson Keene

This was a fairly unchartered foray for me. Nolichuck is a YA novel aimed at 11-16-year-olds, but it’s one that adults can enjoy too. At least, this adult did. It's more than just a story about a bullied 14-year-old—it's also a bit of a history lesson about nineteenth-century Tennessee frontier life.

TJ is a rather unhappy teenager: his parents are divorced, and his younger sister, Natalie, of whom he’s so very fond, lives with his mother, while he lives with his successful historian father. He’s lonely, hates everything about school, has few close friends, doesn’t have much luck with girls, and the school bully just about tops off his misery. One day he stumbles across an unlocked drawer (usually firmly locked) in his father’s desk. Curiosity gets the better of him: a locked drawer means there’s something important in it. He finds a green book. A very plain, very ordinary little book: ordinary that is, until he opens it up and finds himself transported into the past in frontier-land, where he spends four days. In that time, he not only makes friends, but his adventure brings him into contact with robbers, killers, and beasts he would normally see in a zoo. Most importantly, TJ finds himself gaining confidence and maturity. The sharpened mental reflexes and survival instincts he is gaining from his extraordinary experiences will, he knows, help him cope with the unhappy twenty-first-century existence when he returns…if he returns. How on earth is he going to get back?

The author is obviously interested in and knowledgeable about the era; the authentic dialogue of frontier-living folk was a nice touch. I would have loved to have been able to press a button to hear it as well as read it! The historical aspect was interesting and aptly woven into the story. It was easy to feel desperately sorry for TJ—bullying in schools is an unpleasant, sometimes tragic feature of modern life—but it was also satisfying to accompany him on his journey to an improved strength of character and assertiveness.

An entertaining and fun story.… (plus d'informations)

actual rating is 3.5


I enjoyed this story and I felt a longing for TJ my daughter has also encountered bullying at school and I felt for him. He struggles daily with the divorce of his parents and the bully's at school. While at his father's desk which was normally locked. TJ found that it was left unlocked and his curiosity got the best of him and he found a mysterious green book in there. That is when his adventure begins. Jackson has written a very good book that will definitely appeal to the YA. He has created a well rounded character in TJ. His writing technique is smooth and unique. I enjoyed his writing style I just felt that parts of the book where a little slow and the pace was hard to pick back up at times but I do recommend this book to middle grade kids for I think they will enjoy this well rounded story.
… (plus d'informations)

I love reading books like this that have great meanings behind them. This one has one that is close to me, which is bullying. I like how the author takes a sensitive subject and writes it to where kids and adults can understand it and may relate. This book is not all about bullying. It's really a story about the evolution of TJ. He goes from being forgotten, picked on and having low self esteem to being confident and standing up for himself. TJ gets picked on and pushed around by some of the jocks at school. TJ is not a one to play sports but he isn't exactly a bookworm either. I think that he becomes an easy target because his home life isn't the best. Sure his family has money but his parents are divorced and his dad works long hours. He is at a time in his life when he needs his family especially his dad. Things changed the night he found the green book in his father's desk. Opening that book takes him from the present to 1802 frontier life. In this time TJ is now Jeb and he is a new person. Gone is the shy and timid boy from Knoxville and in his place is this confident and maturing teenager. The people he meets and the adventures that he goes on brings out a part of him that was lost.
TJ's relationship with his father is not the best. His dad Vern is engrossed in work and tends to forget his son. I don't think that it is on purpose but after his divorce maybe work was his only outlet. This could be a factor in TJ personality. His dad is a big history buff, even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. TJ isn't into history that much, until the day he opened the green book. Being placed into frontier life allows him to see it in a different perceptive, thus giving his relationship with his dad a new lease.
While I enjoyed the book I was a little thrown off by the dialog that the adults have in the frontier part of the story. It is understood that they are uneducated but the grammar that is used to emphasis this is exhausting to read at times. I don't think it is necessary that every word in the sentence be that certain characters spoke had to written to emphasis that the character was uneducated. It caused bumps in the story instead of it being a smooth read.
Overall this is a great book to read especially if you love action and Westerns. Books like this one are a fun way to get kids to read because the characters and subject are easily relatable to them. There is action in this book but not overly violent nor is it in graphic detail. I think that the author did a wonderful job in conveying his story.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)